32,355 research outputs found
Hydromagnetic wave resonances in the magnetosphere
Diagnostic analysis of magnetosphere based on resonating regions of plasmasphere, outer magnetosphere, and magnetospheric tai
A study of geomagnetic storms
Twenty-one geomagnetic storm events during 1966 and 1970 were studied by using simultaneous interplanetary magnetic field and plasma parameters. Explorer 33 and 35 field and plasma data were analyzed on large-scale (hourly) and small-scale (3 min.) during the time interval coincident with initial phase of the geomagnetic storms. The solar-ecliptic Bz component turns southward at the end of the initial phase, thus triggering the main phase decrease in Dst geomagnetic field. When the Bz is already negative, its value becomes further negative. The By component also shows large fluctuations along with Bz. When there are no clear changes in the Bz component, the By shows abrupt changes at the main phase onet. On the small-scale behavior of the magnetic field and electric field (E=-VxB) studied in details for the three events, it is found that the field fluctuations in By, Bz and Ey and Ez are present in the initial phase. These fluctuations become larger just before the main phase of the storm begins. In the largescale behavior field remains quiet because the small scale variations are averaged out
Sudden impulses in the geomagnetotail and the vicinity
Explorer 33 magnetic field observations were analyzed to study the propagation of sudden impulses (SI) in the geomagnetic tail and the magnetosheath. Average speed of propagation in these regions is 760 km per sec with a range of 550 to 1230 km per sec. Most of the SI's have propagation speed close to that of the shock wave observed in this region. Positive SI is shown to have a positive change in the tail or magnetosheath and a negative SI has a similar negative change. Nine out of thirteen correlated SI's have their origin in the solar wind continuities, while four SI's possibly originate in the perturbations of the tail or magnetosheath field. It was found that the SI propagation is not confined to the tail region but has correlated effects in the magnetosheath. The propagation region studied was in 2000 to 0200 local time sector
Interplanetary field and plasma during initial phase of geomagnetic storms
Twenty-three geomagnetic storm events during 1966 to 1970 were studied by using simultaneous interplanetary magnetic field and plasma parameters. Explorer 33 and 35 field and plasma data were analyzed on large-scale (hourly) and small-scale (3 min.) during the time interval coincident with the initial phase of the geomagnetic storms. The solar-ecliptic Bz component turns southward at the end of the initial phase, thus triggering the main phase decrease in Dst geomagnetic field. The By component also shows large fluctuations along with Bz. When there are no clear changes in the Bz component, the By shows abrupt changes at the main phase onset. On the small-scale, behavior of the magnetic field and electric field were studied in detail for the three events; it is found that the field fluctuations in By, Bz and Ey and Ez are present in the initial phase. In the large-scale, the behavior field remains quiet because the small-scale variations are averaged out. It appears that large as well as small time scale fluctuations in the interplanetary field and plasma help to alter the internal electromagnetic state of the magnetosphere so that a ring current could causing a geomagnetic storm decrease
Charged analogue of Finch-Skea stars
We present solutions to the Einstein-Maxwell system of equations in
spherically symmetric gravitational fields for static interior spacetimes with
a specified form of the electric field intensity. The condition of pressure
isotropy yields three category of solutions. The first category is expressible
in terms of elementary functions and does not have an uncharged limit. The
second category is given in terms of Bessel functions of half-integer order.
These charged solutions satisfy a barotropic equation of state and contain
Finch-Skea uncharged stars. The third category is obtained in terms of modified
Bessel functions of half-integer order and does not have an uncharged limit.
The physical features of the charged analogue of the Finch-Skea stars are
studied in detail. In particular the condition of causality is satisfied and
the speed of sound does not exceed the speed of light. The physical analysis
indicates that this analogue is a realistic model for static charged
relativistic perfect fluid spheres.Comment: 17 pages, To appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys.
Early diffusion evidence of retrograde transsynaptic degeneration in the human visual system
We investigated whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices of white matter integrity would offer early markers of retrograde transsynaptic degeneration (RTD) in the visual system after stroke
Objective: We investigated whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices of white matter integrity
would offer early markers of retrograde transsynaptic degeneration (RTD) in the visual system
after stroke.
Methods: We performed a prospective longitudinal analysis of the sensitivity of DTI markers of
optic tract health in 12 patients with postsynaptic visual pathway stroke, 12 stroke controls,
and 28 healthy controls. We examined group differences in (1) optic tract fractional anisotropy
(FA-asymmetry), (2) perimetric measures of visual impairment, and (3) the relationship between
FA-asymmetry and perimetric assessment.
Results: FA-asymmetry was higher in patients with visual pathway lesions than in control groups.
These differences were evident 3 months from the time of injury and did not change significantly
at 12 months. Perimetric measures showed evidence of impairment in participants with visual
pathway stroke but not in control groups. A significant association was observed between
FA-asymmetry and perimetric measures at 3 months, which persisted at 12 months.
Conclusions: DTI markers of RTD are apparent 3 months from the time of injury. This represents
the earliest noninvasive evidence of RTD in any species. Furthermore, these measures associate
with measures of visual impairment. DTI measures offer a reproducible, noninvasive, and sensitive
method of investigating RTD and its role in visual impairment
Utilization of CT scanning associated with complex spine surgery.
BackgroundDue to the risk associated with exposure to ionizing radiation, there is an urgent need to identify areas of CT scanning overutilization. While increased use of diagnostic spinal imaging has been documented, no previous research has estimated the magnitude of follow-up imaging used to evaluate the postoperative spine.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study quantifies the association between spinal surgery and CT utilization. An insurance database (Humana, Inc.) with ≈ 19 million enrollees was employed, representing 8 consecutive years (2007-2014). Surgical and imaging procedures were captured by anatomic-specific CPT codes. Complex surgeries included all cervical, thoracic and lumbar instrumented spine fusions. Simple surgeries included discectomy and laminectomy. Imaging was restricted to CT and MRI. Postoperative imaging frequency extended to 5-years post-surgery.ResultsThere were 140,660 complex spinal procedures and 39,943 discectomies and 49,889 laminectomies. MRI was the predominate preoperative imaging modality for all surgical procedures (median: 80%; range: 73-82%). Postoperatively, CT prevalence following complex procedures increased more than two-fold from 6 months (18%) to 5 years (≥40%), and patients having a postoperative CT averaged two scans. For simple procedures, the prevalence of postoperative CT scanning never exceeded 30%.ConclusionsCT scanning is used frequently for follow-up imaging evaluation following complex spine surgery. There is emerging evidence of an increased cancer risk due to ionizing radiation exposure with CT. In the setting of complex spine surgery, actions to mitigate this risk should be considered and include reducing nonessential scans, using the lowest possible radiation dose protocols, exerting greater selectivity in monitoring the developing fusion construct, and adopting non-ferromagnetic implant biomaterials that facilitate MRI postoperatively
Monitoring serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio and leptin during growth hormone treatment for disordered growth
OBJECTIVE: Serum IGF-I levels are monitored during
GH replacement treatment in adults with GH defi-
ciency (GHD) to guide GH dose adjustment and to
minimize occurrence of GH-related side-effects. This
is not routine practice in children treated with GH. The
aim of this study was to evaluate changes in (1) serum
IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio, and (2)
serum leptin, an indirect marker of GH response,
during the first year of GH treatment in children with
disordered growth.
DESIGN: An observational prospective longitudinal
study with serial measurements at five time points
during the first year of GH treatment was carried out.
Each patient served as his/her own control.
PATIENTS The study included 31 patients, grouped
as (1) GHD (n=20) and (2) non-GHD (Turner syndrome
n=7; Noonan syndrome n=4), who had not previously
received GH treatment.
MEASUREMENTS: Serum IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and leptin
levels were measured before treatment and after
6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months of GH
treatment, with a mean dose of 0.5 IU/kg/wk in GHD
and 0.7 IU/kg/wk in non-GHD groups. IGF-I, IGFBP-3
and the calculated IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio were
expressed as SD scores using reference values from
the local population.
RESULTS: In the GHD group, IGF-I SDS before treatment was lower compared with the non-GHD (-5.4 ± 2.5 vs. -1.8 ± 1.0; P < 0.001). IGF-I (-1.8 SDS ± 2.2) and IGFBP-3 (-1.1 SDS ± 0.6) levels and their molar ratios were highest at 6 weeks and remained relatively constant thereafter. In the non-GHD group, IGF-I levels increased throughout the year and were maximum at 12 months (0.3 SDS ± 1.4) while IGFBP-3 (1.1 SDS ± 0.9) and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio peaked at 6 months. In both groups, IGF-I SDS and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 during treatment correlated with the dose of GH expressed as IU/m2/week (r-values 0.77 to 0.89; P = 0.005) but not as IU/kg/week. Serum leptin levels decreased significantly during GH treatment in the GHD (median before treatment 4.0 g/l; median after 12 months treatment 2.4 g/l; P = 0.02) but not the non-GHD (median before treatment 3.0 g/l; median after 12 months treatment 2.6 g/l). In the GHD group, serum leptin before treatment correlated with 12 month change in height SDS (r = 0.70, P = 0.02).
CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and
their molar ratio during the first year of GH treatment
differed between the GHD and non-GHD groups. Calculation
of GH dose by surface area may be preferable
to calculating by body weight. As a GH dose-dependent
increase in serum IGF-I and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 may
be associated with adverse effects, serum IGF-I and
IGFBP-3 should be monitored routinely during longterm
GH treatment. Serum leptin was the only variable
that correlated with first year growth response in
GHD
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